The Adventurer
Copyright© 2025 by A Well Traveled Man
Chapter 6
Trey woke up early Sunday morning, did his forms, showered, dressed, and went to Home Depot. He bought more drywall and ¾ inch plywood and drove to the cave. Trey unloaded the supplies and parked his truck in the garage. He returned to the cave in the mule and carried the supplies into the cave. Trey installed the plywood on the ceiling of his workroom for storage. He left a five-foot space behind the back wall that would be his stash room. He planned shelving along the wall to hide the door to his stash room.
It was getting late, so he returned to the garage, cleaned up, and ate breakfast. While they ate, Mom asked what his plans were for the week. Trey said nothing was planned, but Richard was arranging two readings so they may happen this week, and asked why. Mom said the senator requested our presence at a campaign dinner to show family solidarity. Trey laughed and said that bullshit. The asshole’s trying to deflect attention away from his campaign donation issue.
He recommended that everyone distance themselves from the senator or be linked to his illegal activities. Grandmother told Mom that Trey is right, and Jack could be associated with the trouble through you. Trey said he wouldn’t attend anyway because of the issue at the gala. With interviews scheduled next week, he doesn’t need questions about their relationship ruining the movie’s promotion.
After lunch, Trey went upstairs and worked on the CIA’s program. He had an idea to finish it and combine the previous programs to see if it worked. Trey programmed until mom called him to dinner. He saved his work and quickly checked his email. There was one from Ethan Sattler, deputy director with the CIA. He said the letter was being signed and the program should be forwarded ASAP. Trey laughed and had an idea. He replied, thanking Mr. Sattler for the swift response, and said he would start working on it when the letter arrived. Then he attached his worm to the email and sent it.
He suspected Ethan hadn’t or couldn’t get the CIA Director involved. Ethan made a major mistake emailing him, and now Trey will know everything Ethan plans. He shut down the computer and went to dinner. While they ate, Trey asked Grandmother if she would mind him changing his last name to her maiden name, Hunt. Grandmother said it was fine with her, and Mom asked why. Trey said your falling for the assholes bullshit and he didn’t want to be associated with lunatics and assholes. Grandmother laughed right away, and Mom joined her a few moments later. They finished dinner, watched TV, and then went to bed.
Ethan Sattler, deputy director with the CIA, read Trey’s email at home on his work laptop and got pissed. He couldn’t tell the CIA Director about the illegal program because he was a political appointee. The program was his idea, which would make him billions with the information gathered. Ethan planned on terminating everyone involved in building it after it was up and running. He emailed three rendition teams they employed overseas, and two turned him down. The third wanted a million-dollar deposit and two million on delivery. He could not afford the price himself and couldn’t use company funds. So, he’d have to figure out another way.
Early Monday morning, Trey did forms, went to the dojo, and did his martial arts workout. Returning to his room he showered, dressed, went to the stables and saddled Blackie. They took off for their ride, and Trey sensed danger ahead. So, he stopped, dismounted Blackie and told him to stay. He grabbed his rifle and walked into the woods toward the threat. It was a bobcat in the tree waiting for some prey to pass by. Trey shot it then returned to Blackie and they completed their ride.
Trey took care of Blackie, cleaned up, and went to the kitchen. Breakfast was ready, so they sat and ate. Trey told Mom she should distance herself from the senator. If everything happens as expected, you can honestly say we haven’t spoken in months. You don’t want Uncle Jack saddled with the senator’s problems due to your continued support of him. Grandmother said Trey’s right, and you’ll do it if you want Jack to be named the next senator by the governor.
Mom said Alright, I get the message and will stop accepting the senator’s and his campaign calls. They finished lunch, and Trey went to Uncle Jack’s company for work. Cheryl paged Trey to report to the clinic upon arrival. He went to the clinic and asked where she wanted his autograph. Cheryl laughed, directed him to a treatment room, and told Trey to undress and put on a gown. He said, “No foreplay,” and Cheryl left giggling. When Cheryl returned, she handed Trey a urine cup and a beaker. She said we need a sperm sample this time and left giggling again.
Trey went to the bathroom, filled the urine cup and the beaker, and returned to the treatment room. He handed them to Cheryl and said, “If babies arrive on our doorstep calling Mom, Grand Mommy, you’re dead.” Cheryl laughed so hard she had to sit down. Then, while drawing his blood, Cheryl assured Trey his sperm was for testing only. Then she gave him a booster shot, and Trey got lightheaded and passed out. When he woke up, Cheryl told him he would be getting shots every two weeks for a while.
He dressed, went to the IT department, and worked the rest of the day. At 5 p.m., Trey went to Uncle Jack’s office, but the door was closed and locked. So, he headed home, and dinner was ready when he arrived. While eating dinner, Mom said they were getting married this weekend. Then we’ll hold the reception next weekend at the VFW hall. Trey said that wasn’t a good idea and recommended the hotel ballroom. Mom asked why, and Trey said it could get ugly if some of Dad’s friends showed up. Besides, the hotel is a neutral site that won’t create a controversy with the press.
Mom said shit, she didn’t think about that and they will book the ballroom. Trey asked Grandmother if she had scheduled Mom’s appointment with the shrink. Everyone laughed, and Mom picked up a knife and said Watch it, Buster. They finished dinner and watched TV for an hour. When the program ended, he said goodnight and went to bed.
Tuesday morning, Trey did his forms, went to the gym, and did his weight workout. After showering and getting dressed, he drove to Home Depot. On the way, he saw windmills for sale. He stopped and the man about them. They were residential wind generators to provide electricity even in the winter when solar panels are useless. The salesman said two wind generators with two battery packs would provide 4 to 6 days of electricity, depending on usage. Trey asked the price, and the wind generators were $2000 each, and the battery packs were $1000 each.
They negotiated a price for two wind generators and two battery packs and agreed on $5000. Trey returned home, got the cash, and returned. Driving home, he thought of where to put them. The best place would be at the top of the hillside, but far enough from the cave to avoid attention to it. Trey drove his truck to where he chose and unloaded the wind generators. Then he stopped at the cave, unloaded the battery packs, and parked the truck in the garage.
Trey grabbed some tools, put them into the mule, and drove to the wind generators. He carried one up the hillside to the peak and assembled it. The other would have to wait, and he returned home and cleaned up. After breakfast, Trey returned and installed the second wind generator and carried the battery packs into the cave. Running the electrical wires would require a Home Depot run, and he’d do that later. Trey drove the mule back to the garage and went upstairs to clean up.
Then he checked his cloud account and had Ethan Sattler, deputy director, with the CIA computer files. Trey viewed the files, and Ethan had his department’s Cayman Island Bank account tab on his desktop. Then he checked the balance and knew Ethan would freak out if it disappeared. He’d need to open accounts worldwide first before moving the money. They would try to track it if it disappeared. But Ethan Sattler would be the number one suspect. That would cause Ethan to lose interest in him and try to save his ass.
Trey checked Ethan’s emails and found he emailed three rendition teams they employed overseas. Two turned him down; the third wanted a million-dollar deposit and two million on delivery. So, Ethan wanted to kidnap him so he could finish the programming. Trey figured Ethan would kill everyone once the program was up and running. He couldn’t afford loose ends on a project like that. Trey shut off the computer and went to the kitchen.
During dinner, Richard called and said he had scheduled two readings for Thursday. The first is at 10 a.m., and the second is at 1 p.m. Both are at Universal Studios in LA. Your itinerary will be emailed shortly. But it’s a one-day trip and you will return in the early evening. Richard said good luck and call after you’re done, then he said goodbye. Trey said shit that’s a long day and he hopes it’s worth it. They finished dinner, watched TV, said goodnight, and went to bed.
Early Wednesday morning, Trey did his forms, went to the dojo, and did his martial arts workout. He felt lighter on his feet, and his punches and kicks were quicker and more powerful. Then he showered, dressed, went to the stables, and saddled Blackie. They took off for their ride and experienced no interruptions. Returning to the stables, Trey took care of Blackie and went to the kitchen.
After breakfast, Trey went to Home Depot and bought supplies to wire the wind generator and his workshop. The bill came to over $1500, and he paid cash, telling the cashier it wasn’t unusual. Trey returned home and drove the truck to the cave. He unloaded the supplies into the cave and parked his truck in the garage. After cleaning up and changing clothes, he ate lunch and drove to work.
Trey spent the day helping IT with a network problem. He noticed how fast he was programming, so he had to slow down to avoid being caught by his coworkers. When he was by himself, Trey let loose, and his fingers flew across the keyboard with amazing speed and accuracy. With what happened in the dojo and now with programming, Trey knew the booster shot did it. He wondered what other surprises were in store for him. At the end of the day, he met Jack. Uncle Jack insisted on being called Jack privately and Dad publicly when married.
Jack told Trey he and your Mom talked, and we want you to attend the ceremony in Las Vegas. Jack said he was free to do what he wanted after the ceremony, but to be ready to leave Sunday at 4 p.m. We’re staying at The Wynn Hotel again, but on separate floors, and we laughed. Jack said we leave Friday at 6 a.m., and the ceremony is at noon. Trey said he has two interviews in LA on Thursday. Could he fly to Vegas that night and meet you and Mom Friday morning? Jack said Sure, that makes more sense than flying home and returning to Vegas Friday morning.
Jack said he would change Trey’s reservation for Thursday through Sunday, and they said goodbye. On the way home, he was more aware of his surroundings, almost like another person was watching his back. When he arrived home, dinner was ready, so they sat and ate. Trey told Mom about his conversation with Jack, and she approved. They finished dinner and watched the evening news. When the program was over, they said goodnight and went to bed.
Thursday at 3 a.m. Trey did his forms, went to the gym, and did his weight workout. Returning to his room, he showered, dressed, and packed for his trip. He put the audio/ video detector and 10k in cash in his luggage. Trey selected a suit, tie, and shirt for the wedding and put them into a garment bag. Getting his bags, clubs, and carry-on to the truck took two trips. He drove to the airport and parked in extended parking. A shuttle bus picked him up and took him to departures. The sky cap checked his luggage, and he went through security.
Richard’s crew booked him in coach, so he convinced the gate clerk to upgrade him to first class and tipped her $100. They landed at LAX after 8 a.m., and no car awaited him. So, Trey took a taxi to Universal Studios and got a receipt. He tipped the driver, and he helped bring his luggage inside. Trey checked in with the receptionist and asked if there was a secure room to store his luggage. She said yes, and they put his luggage in a closet and locked it. Trey gave her $100 for help, and she was grateful.
The first interview was a bust, but he read for it anyway. The script called for an actor 5’11” and he was 6’2” tall. While waiting for the second interview, a man came into the lobby, and introductions were made. His name was John Cline, the movie director, and they went to a conference room. Trey was introduced to Ray Tucker, the producer, and Kelly Parry, the scriptwriter. They asked about his acting experience, education, sports he played, and other activities he did. Then Trey read the script, and Ray asked who his agent was, and he said Richard Harper at WME in New York.
Trey read their minds, and they were impressed with him and his qualifications. Ray said they would call his agent, and Trey thanked them for the interview and left. Returning to the reception desk, he checked in for his 1 p.m. interview. She said it was canceled yesterday, so Trey gathered his bags and ordered a Lyft ride to LAX. On the way, he called Richard and asked who arranged his itinerary and readings. He said Sandy and asked why.
Trey said there were several reasons. First, he was booked in coach class. Then, there was no transportation at LAX. Then the first reading called for an actor 5’11” tall. He’s 6’2” tall, but he read for the part anyway. By sheer luck, he met a director named Ray Tucker and interviewed for his action/mystery/crime movie. The interview went well, and they wondered why my interview wasn’t scheduled. I met all their qualifications for the part, so they will be calling you.
Richard, this trip was a cluster from the beginning. Oh, by the way, the second interview was canceled yesterday, and no one informed me. So, please find out who’s responsible, and I’ll call you Monday to see if you still want to represent me. Then Trey said goodbye and hung up. They arrived at the airport, and the Lyft driver helped him bring his bags to the ticket counter. Trey tipped him $50, and he left happy. He changed his flight to Las Vegas and checked his bags. He made it through security and went to the men’s room. He put on his mustache and fake glasses and went to the gate. Trey convinced the gate agent to upgrade him to first class, and he tipped her $100.
The flight was under an hour, and they landed at Harry Reed International Airport after 1 p.m. Trey took a cab to The Wynn Hotel. They welcomed him back and upgraded him to a deluxe suite at no charge. Trey read the clerk’s mind, and the Wynn knew and treated the high-stakes players well. Once he got settled, Trey thought about going to the pool, but didn’t know if his mustache would stay while swimming. He had to wear his disguise at the hotel to avoid being recognized.